Some things we learned in our journey of getting to know #HarrietTubman for this unique take on her personality, some of which you may know yourself/ (#minty is available on Youtube and Vimeo )
1)She was always considered a very independent girl/slave
1)She was always considered a very independent girl/slave
2)she had incredibly adult responsibilities as a child bc she was trusted and a self-starter, two qualities that would eventually lead her and many others to freedom
3)She was hit in the head w a brick thrown by a slave owner when she tried to intervene in a punishment
3)She was hit in the head w a brick thrown by a slave owner when she tried to intervene in a punishment
4)she developed narcolepsy but swore to her dying day it wasn't narcolepsy but a gift from God. She claimed God showed her visions in her "fugues", some that helped her out of some very risky close calls. She credits those visions with her successes.
5)She loved her pistol and she loved the Lord.
6)She took her mother's name (Harriet) to honor her memory. Tubman was her married name. Her real name was Araminta Ross...Minty to those who knew and loved her.
6)She took her mother's name (Harriet) to honor her memory. Tubman was her married name. Her real name was Araminta Ross...Minty to those who knew and loved her.
7)She had a "do or die" policy. She was willing to shoot any escaping slave who wanted to turn back, but she claimed she never had to go through with it.
8)her work on the Underground Railroad - astonishingly - was only a small portion of her service. She was a nurse and cook for union troops, a spy, led raids into enemy territory&was even nicknamed The General by military command. She helped turn the tide of the Civil War
9)Despite multiple letters from high-ranking supporters asking the US Government to award her a pension for her service, she was never compensated and died in basic poverty.
10)Her last act of service was to establish a senior home for aging former slaves with no place to live out their final years. There she died, a quiet hero, poor but never ceasing to give glory to God, even through the pain.
Money quote (one of them, anyway)- Never wound a snake...kill it.
We were surrounded by an amazing crew, a cast that blew my socks off and good friends who pitched in when things got tough.
3 day, shoot - one an all-nighter. Everyone was so all-in on this that it didn't even feel like a slog. Every second was a blessing. We have hoped to develop this into a tv series and are still working toward that. There is so much more to Minty's story that needs to be told.
This #JuneteenthDay is a wonderful time to remind ourselves about this "Founding Mother" who changed all of our lives. I'm proud of our work. My creative partner and I took a chance here, and it was our first funded project but we love it. Here's to MINTY!
